1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the field of bicycle safety lighting.
2. Introduction
This invention is a novel system and method of bicycle safety lighting that can help to prevent bicyclists from being hit by a vehicle from behind during the evening or at night, especially when a bicyclist is stopped at an intersection. This invention may also prove useful for reducing the chances of bicyclists being hit by vehicles that are turning right at an intersection, at any time of the day.
3. Categorization and Limitations of the Prior Art
It can be challenging to classify the prior art concerning bicycle safety lights and reflectors into discrete categories, especially since examples of potentially relevant prior art number in the hundreds. However, such classification of the prior art into categories, even if imperfect, is an invaluable tool for reviewing the prior art, identifying the limitations of the prior art, and setting the stage for discussion of the advantages of the present invention that is disclosed in subsequent sections. Towards this end, I have identified eight general art categories, identified key limitations of art in these categories, and then identified examples of prior art which appear to be best classified into these eight categories.
The eight general categories that I will now discuss are as follows: (1) mainly side view—lights or reflectors on main frame, (2) mainly side view—lights or reflectors on wheels, (3) mainly front view—lights or reflectors on handlebar ends, (4) mainly side (or rear) view—lights or reflectors on pedals, (5) mainly rear (or side) view—lights or reflectors on vertical members, (6) mainly rear (or front) view—relatively narrow (eg. under one foot) lights or reflectors, (7) mainly rear (or front) view—relatively wide (eg. one foot or more) generally-rigid lights or reflectors, and (8) other relevant (but harder to categorize) lights and reflectors. For prior art in the eighth category, I discuss each of the examples individually.
Although the main focus of this present invention is on safety lighting for bicycles, I have also included relevant art concerning cycle lighting in general, including lighting for motorcycles and tricycles. It should be noted, however, that some forms lighting (especially lighting that is relatively heavy or bulky) can be useful for motorcycles, but impractical for human-powered bicycles. Also, although the main focus of this prevent invention is on safety lighting that highlights the presence of a bicycle from the perspective of someone approaching the bicycle from the rear, I have also included relevant art related to side-facing or front-facing bicycle safety lighting.
Although this section is labeled as one that discusses prior art, it is to be understood that creative discussion of the limitations of the prior art can highlight problems that are not yet solved by the prior art and, in so doing, foreshadow approaches to addressing these problems that would not be obvious from the prior art by itself. Sometimes the process of summarizing and analyzing problems in the prior art can add value by shedding light on worthwhile approaches to addressing these problems.
1. Mainly Side View: Lights or Reflectors on Main Frame
This first category of bicycle lights and reflectors in the prior art includes lights and reflectors that are attached to, or inserted within, members of the main frame of the bicycle (such as the top tube, head tube, down tube, and seat tube) in a generally-parallel manner so as to make the bicycle more visible from a side view. Such lights and reflectors can be attached, in parallel, to the main frame members using various methods, including clamps and adhesives. Lights can also be inserted into main frame members that are transparent or have holes in them, allowing light to shine out from within the interiors of these frame members. Such lights and reflectors are particularly useful for bringing the presence of the bicycle to the attention of a vehicle driver who is approaching the bicycle from the side (in a perpendicular manner) in the evening or at night. Such lights and reflectors can help to avoid side collisions between vehicles and bicycles. Although lights and reflectors in this category can be very useful in many respects, such lights and reflectors in the prior art do not provide good visibility of the bicycle from the perspective of a vehicle driver approaching the bicycle from the rear. Also, they do not visually define a bilateral safety zone around the bicycle which a vehicle should not enter.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors attached to, or inserted within, the main frame of a cycle include the following: U.S. Pat. No. U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,882 (Lewis, “Fluorescent Bike Lamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,503 (Turner, “Handlebar Mounted Detachable Bicycle Light Fixture”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,135 (Padilla et al., “Bicycle Lighting Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,209 (Nitz, “Illuminated Bicycle Frame”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,936 (Walton et al., “Portable Neon Lighting System”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,653 (Elam Jr. et al., “Bicycle Illumination System”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,736 (Edmond, “Illuminated Bicycle Frame Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,018 (Blum, “Vehicle Light Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,913 (Niezrecki et al., “Cycle Illumination System”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,363 (Pisula, “Glow Tube Illumination Device and Illumination System for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,358 (Treat, “Swing Arm Taillight Assembly for a Motorcycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,883,248 (Kitamura, “Bicycle Illumination Apparatus”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,775 (Hurwitz, “High Visibility Safety Lighting System Integrated Within a Vehicle's Frame”); as well as U.S. Patent Applications 20030067782 (Niezrecki et al., “Cycle Illumination System”); 20040095776 (Pisula, “Glow Tube Illumination Device and Illumination System for Bicycles”); and 20080101079 (Kitamura, “Bicycle Illumination Apparatus”).
2. Mainly Side View: Lights or Reflectors on Wheels
This second category of bicycle lights and reflectors in the prior art includes lights and reflectors that are attached to bicycle wheels in a manner that is generally parallel to the wheels, often attached to the spokes, so as to make the bicycle more visible from a side view. One of advantage of such lights is that the vast majority of them move as the wheels turn. Although this does not provide light movement when a bicycle is stopped, it is a useful feature for drawing the attention of a vehicle driver to the presence of a bicycle.
There are a variety of such lights attached to wheels in the prior art, including flashing lights and lights that create patterns or spell out messages as the wheels turn. Such lights and reflectors are useful for alerting a vehicle driver who is approaching the bicycle from the side in order to help avoid side collisions between vehicles and bicycles. Lights that create patterns or spell out messages can also serve entertainment purposes. However, such devices in the prior art do not provide good visibility of the bicycle from the perspective of a vehicle driver approaching the bicycle from the rear. Also, they do not visually define a bilateral safety zone around the bicycle which a vehicle should not enter.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors attached to the sides of cycle wheels, especially to wheel spokes, include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,409 (Freeman, “Vehicle Signal Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,014 (Wodder et al., “Spoke Mounted Bicycle Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,697 (Chiou, “Signal Lamp Assembly for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,039 (Lee, “Warning Device for Bicycle Having Changeable Patterns”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,386 (Yu, “Bicycle Spoke Warning Light Device Capable of Setting and Displaying Characters”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,477,208 (Matlock et al., “Rotational Light Emitting Display Apparatus”); as well as U.S. Patent Application 20100002456 (Lin, “Bicycle Reflector”).
3. Mainly Front View: Lights or Reflectors on Handlebar Ends
This third category of bicycle lights and reflectors in the prior art includes lights and reflectors that are attached to the ends of the handlebars without extending outwards by a substantive distance. Lights and reflectors that extend outwards by a substantive distance are classified in subsequent categories because they have the potential to span a bilateral safety zone that may be visible from behind the bicycle. Most of the lights or reflectors attached to, or inserted within, handlebar ends provide increased visibility for safety purposes. Some of the lights also function as turn signal indicators. Such lights and reflectors have their purposes, but they do not provide good visibility of the bicycle from the perspective of a vehicle driver approaching the bicycle from the rear. Also, they do not do a good job of defining a bilateral safety zone for the following reasons. From the perspective of someone behind the bicycle, their light can be blocked by the bicyclist's hands or torso. Also, they often direct light beams frontwards or sideways, not backwards. Also, handlebar ends can point away from the rear of the bicycle as the handlebars are turned to the right or left.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors attached to the ends of cycle handlebars include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 2,416,160 (Davidsson, “Signaling Device for Cycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,469,944 (Bauters, “Signaling Device for Cycles and the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,701 (Schadel Jr., “Signal Light for Bicycle Handle Bars”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,284 (Simoneit, “Bicycle Safety Lights”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,954 (Schott et al., “Handlebar Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,564 (Felder, “Bicycle Handlebar Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,502 (Schott et al., “Handlebar Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,169 (Cruze, “Cycle Hand Grip with Running Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,142 (Spector, “Bicycle Safety Lights”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,431 (Liu, “Indicating Light for Cycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,590 (Berto, “Handlebar Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,673 (Hsiao, “Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,560 (Jaw, “Handgrip with Lamp Apparatus for Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,595 (Fan, “Brake Warning Apparatus for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,189 (Li, “Warning Lamp and Handlebar Assembly for Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. and 7,891,849 (Campbell et al., “Light Emitting Hand Grip, Foot Peg or Foot Rest for a Cycle”).
4. Mainly Side (or Rear) View: Lights or Reflectors on Pedals
This fourth category of bicycle lights and reflectors in the prior art includes lights and reflectors that are attached to, or inserted within, the bicycle pedals. Like lights or reflectors that move with wheel rotation, these lights or reflectors move with bicycle movement. This is a useful feature. These lights are most visible from the side, but are also potentially of some value from a rear view or from a front view because pedals stick out laterally, to some extent, from the main body of the bicycle. On the downside, however, pedal lights or reflectors are relatively low to the road and thus not easily visible from behind. Also, they do not stick out sufficiently far from the bicycle so as to define a wide bilateral safety zone that a vehicle should not enter. By the time a vehicle enters the space defined by a pedal-mounted light or reflector, the vehicle already has a high likelihood of harming the bicyclist's leg or foot. On balance, pedal-mounted lights and reflectors may be useful for avoiding side collisions, but they do not provide good visibility of the bicycle from the perspective of a vehicle driver approaching the bicycle from the rear and do not define a complete bilateral safety zone around the bicycle.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors attached to, or inserted within, cycle pedals include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,172 (Kilburn, “Light Emitting Bicycle Pedal”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,038 (Curry, “Lighted Bicycle Pedal”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,849 (Campbell et al., “Light Emitting Hand Grip, Foot Peg or Foot Rest for a Cycle”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,118 (Chia-Li et al., “Luminous Pedal for a Bicycle”); as well as U.S. Patent Application 20090268479 (Lunde, “Lighted Bicycle Pedal”).
5. Mainly Rear (or Side) View: Lights or Reflectors on Vertical Members
This fifth category of prior art includes a variety of lights, reflectors, flags and other visibility-enhancing members that are attached to, or inserted within, a vertical member such as a pole or mast that is vertically attached to a bicycle. Such vertical members in the prior art are almost always attached to the rear half of a bicycle—such as the rear wheel axle, real wheel fender, seat, or seat post. Due to their rear half location, lights or reflectors on such vertical members are particularly useful for highlighting the visibility of the bicycle from the perspective of someone who is approaching the bicycle from the rear. However, especially for lights and reflectors mounted on top of relatively-high poles or masts, such devices can also provide some improved visibility of the bicycle from side and front perspectives.
In some examples of such art, there is a single light, reflector, or flag at the top of a pole or mast. In other examples, there may be lights or reflectors along the entire vertical axis of the pole. In other examples, there are secondary members attached to a vertical member in a perpendicular manner, with lights or reflectors on the ends thereof. In some examples, the only movement of the lights or reflectors is due to the swaying motion of the bicycle frame and pole as the bicycle is pedaled. Such movement stops when the bicycle stops. In other examples, flashing light motion or other apparent light motion may be caused by movement of a light-diverting member, such as a pinwheel, that is moved by air motion. In other examples, a pole may be moved by direct mechanical connection to a bicycle wheel or pedal.
Although such vertically-mounted devices in the prior art can somewhat improve the visibility of a bicycle from the perspective of a vehicle driver approaching the bicycle from the rear, such devices still have limitations for this purpose. Such devices do not consistently define a wide bilateral safety zone around the bicycle that the vehicle should not enter. The vast majority of such devices do not create any lateral light movement at all and do not create a bilateral safety zone around the bicycle. Even for those devices that comprise poles that can sway back and forth with bicycle motion, thus creating limited lateral movement of a light or reflector as the bicycle moves and sways, this movement is of limited width and stops when the bicycle stops. This is very unfortunate because a bicyclist can be most vulnerable to collision from a vehicle approaching it from the rear when the bicycle is stopped at an intersection during the evening or at night. The lateral span of such devices is limited by a fundamental problem with relatively-rigid light-supporting members in the prior art; if a rigid device sticks out too far to the side from the bicycle, it can snag on something and break, or cause an accident.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights, reflectors, or flags attached to a vertical member extending upwards from a cycle include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,348 (Rich, Jr., “Bicycle Sign, Seat Brace Means”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,334 (Demeter, “Vehicle Warning Lamp Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,815 (Kuenzel, “Safety Attachment”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,410 (Maxwell, “Bicycle Warning Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,810 (Conrad, “Vehicle Mounted Safety Warning Device and Bracket Therefor”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,497 (Rush, “Illuminated Safety Pole for Bicycles or the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,377 (Demeter, “Vehicle Safety Warning Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,369 (Chmela et al., “Impulse Operating Flashing Beacon”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,443 (Smith et al., “Motorcycle Indicating Safety Light Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,032 (Taylor, Deceased et al., “Light Standard for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,150 (Dean, “Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,452 (Moya, “A Rotating Beacon for a Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,959 (Ledterman, “Overhead Bike Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,361 (Lichon et al., “Vehicle Identification Signal Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,882 (Lewis, “Fluorescent Bike Lamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,924 (Suhm, “Vehicle Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,075 (Kirvutza, “Bicycle Signal Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,975 (Marcus, “Display Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,127 (Beck et al., “Vehicle Safety Illumination Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,741 (Smith, “Flasher”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,339 (Ainsworth, “Light Wand Assembly for Bicycles, Motorbikes, Etc.”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,981 (Barnhart, “Bicycle Safety Flag”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,402 (Lorenzana, “Bicycle Light Reflector”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,438 (Ter-Hovhannisian, “Bicycle or Scooter Safety Light”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,700 (Chasmar, “Safety Whip Mast”); as well as U.S. Patent Applications 20040083633 (Mueller, “Lighted Support Pole and Banner”) and 20070035956 (Topps, “Lighted Rod Assembly and Method of Use”).
6. Mainly Rear (or Front) View: Relatively Narrow (eg. Under 1′) Lights or Reflectors
This sixth category of prior art includes a variety of lights and reflectors that are relatively-centrally located with respect to the main longitudinal (front-to-back) axis of the bicycle and are relatively narrow in width. For example, as best can be discerned from the patents, devices in this category appear to have a width of less than one foot. In this respect, such devices generally function as a relatively-central light source (either light emitting or reflecting) rather than as an array of light sources that span a complete bilateral safety zone around the bicycle. We have classified devices that appear to span more than one foot, and may possibly define a bilateral safety zone around the bicycle, in a subsequent category. Lights and reflectors in this present category generally face frontwards or backwards, or both, with respect to the main longitudinal axis of the bicycle. Due to the focus of this present invention on avoiding collisions with vehicles approaching from the rear of the bicycle, this review is predominantly focused on lights and reflectors that face backwards. However, it does include some forward-facing lights.
There is a relatively wide variety of lights and reflectors in this category. There is variation in the configuration, plurality, color, type, and functionality of such lights. Some lights are basic safety lights that are on all the time. Other lights function primarily as brake lights, or turn signal lights, that are only illuminated at particular times to signal particular events. Some of the devices have no movement apart from the swaying of the bicycle frame to which they are attached. Other devices are moved (e.g. rotated, wagged, or wobbled) by the motion of the bicycle wheels or by air currents. Some of the devices do not include light sources, only light reflectors. Some of the devices, especially those involving a series or matrix of LED lights, create patterns or spell messages.
In various examples, such relatively-narrow lights and reflectors may be mounted on: the seat, the seat post, the rear wheel axle, the rear wheel fender, and a rear-facing bike rack. Since these devices do not stick out very far from the central axis of the bicycle, there is not much danger of their snagging on something and breaking, or causing an accident. Accordingly, virtually all of the devices in this category are relatively rigid in construction. Although lights and reflectors in this category can be useful for bicycle safety, due to their limited width they do not define a substantive bilateral safety zone around the bicycle that a vehicle should not enter.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors, mounted on the back or front of a cycle, that are relatively narrow (eg. less than a foot in width) include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,039 (Vianzone, “Electric Lighting Device for Bicycles and Similar Road Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,138 (Schwinn, “Back Light for Use on Cycles and the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,763 (Ries, “Wig-Wag Bicycle Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,621 (Galden, “Rotary Reflector”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,243 (Schwartz et al., “Moving Signal Accessory for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,713 (Brames, “Warning Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,721 (Lalonde, “Bicycle Safety Signal”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,900 (Goedert, “Rotating Bicycle Signal and Drive Therefor”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,171 (Martelet, “Safety Lighting System”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,098 (Mancinelli et al., “Rotatable Multi-Surface Reflectors for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,397 (Kitrell, “Reflector Device for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,159 (Windisch, “Light Signalling Device for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,222 (Cornell et al., “Bicycle Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,286 (Curran, “Bicycle Reflector Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,535 (Slaughter, “Safety Device for Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,351 (Kitrell, “Safety Reflector Device for Bicycles or the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,942 (Sears, “Message Display Arrangement for Bicycle or Like Vehicle”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,989 (Hatcher, “Oscillating Signal for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,048 (Cutlip et al., “Turn Signaling Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,783 (Le Vantine, “Pulsating, Oscillating Bicycle Reflector”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,553 (Haynes, “Vehicle Light Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,025 (Stephen, “Reflective System for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,021 (Nickols, “Bicycle Braking Indicator Light Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,381 (Felder, “Bicycle Rack with Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,185 (Lyons, “Rotating Multicolored Air Driven Reflector”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,141 (Kitrell, “Visual Signal Device Including an Expandable Bellows-Like Element”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,882 (Guevremont, “Bike Brake Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,444 (Wisniewski, “Bicycle Brake Light System”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,970 (Kitrell, “Visual Signal Device for a Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,971 (Kitrell, “Fender Mounted Visual Signal Device for a Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,177 (Simms, “Bicycle Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,734 (Trebnick, “Bicycle Wheel Activated Reflector”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,464 (Balentine, Iii, “Bicycle Brake Light”); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,179 (Solini, “Saddle for Cycles, Motor Cycles and the Like”).
Prior art that appears to be in this category also includes: U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,641 (Johnson, “Hazard Warning Device for Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,517 (Fenton, “Lighted Bicycle Carrier Bags”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,187 (Choi et al., “Battery-Powered Flashing Superluminescent Light Emitting Diode Safety Warning Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,718 (Cheng, “Reflective Warning Device for Wheeled Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,612 (Carter, “Bicycle Rear Lighting System”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,662 (Huang, “Safety Bicycle Saddle Flashing Light Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,240 (Kuo, “Bicycle Stop Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,027 (Orsano, “LED Display for Protective Helmet and Helmet Containing Same”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,414 (Chin, “Bicycle Warning Signal Control Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,739,750 (Drake, “Brake Light for Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,626 (Poling, “Safety Light with Colorful Rotating Illumination Pattern”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,987 (Platt, “Moving Lights Simulator”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,431 (Ellis, Jr., “Wheel Mounted Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,770 (Choimet et al., “Illuminating or Light Signaling Device, Particularly for Bicycles and the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,499 (Wang, “Brake Signal Sensor Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,249 (Bailey, “Bicycle Light with LED Array”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,266 (Jack et al., “Signaling Light Attachment for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,947 (Aceves, “Moving Vehicle Comfort, Security and Safety Signaling System”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,498 (Miyazaki, “Vehicular Lamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,836 (Hsu, “Bike Braking Warning Control”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,584 (Rothan et al., “Bicycle Lamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,051 (Palmer et al., “Human Powered Vehicle Safety Lighting Structures”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,831 (Kouchi et al., “Direction Indicators for Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,393 (Huang, “Bicycle Saddle Mount with Light Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,549 (Van Houweling, “Bicycle Light System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,372 (Panopoulos, “Machine Providing for an Advanced Headlamp System with Peripheral Beam Technology”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,231 (Carillo, “Bicycle Safety Lighting”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,555 (Totani, “Vehicle-Mounted LED Illumination Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,564 (Venier, “Bicycle Lighting System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,188 (Turby, “Motorcycle Rider Illuminating System”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,835 (Carillo, “Bicycle Safety Lighting”).
Finally, examples of such devices in the prior art also appear to include: U.S. Patent Applications 20020093825 (Bailey, “Bicycle Light with LED Array”); 20040207520 (Chuang, “Turn Signal of Bicycle”); 20050024884 (Seminara et al., “Illuminated Personal Safety Device for Use by Cyclists and Joggers”); 20060232988 (Wang et al., “Emitting Light Device for Bicycles”); 20070285934 (Carillo, “Bicycle Safety Lighting”); 20080031002 (Venier, “Bicycle Lighting System”); 20100117811 (Liu, “Direction Signal Light”); 20100225459 (Lee et al., “Bicycle Display Lamp Structure”); 20110037580 (Lin, “Traffic Warning Device”); 20110075403 (Niezrecki et al., “Safety Device for Illuminating Sports Enthusiasts”); and 20110235351 (Sherwin, “Apparatus To Provide Variable Illuminated Signals for the Presence of Bicycles and Other Vehicles”).
7. Mainly Rear (or Front) View: Relatively-Wide (eg. 1′ or More) Generally-Rigid Lights or Reflectors
This seventh category of prior art includes a variety of lights and reflectors that extend laterally outwards from the main longitudinal (front-to-back) axis of the bicycle and, as best can be discerned from the patents, may potentially have a width of a foot or more. In this respect, they have the potential to define a substantive bilateral safety zone around the bicycle that is visible from drivers approaching the bicycle from the rear. However, the prior art does not fully live up to this potential due to a central construction problem that is not resolved in the prior art. Rigid light-supporting members, that stick out some distance on each side of the bicycle, could potentially define a full bilateral safety zone around the bicycle that a vehicle should not enter and which can be seen by a driver approaching the rear of the bicycle. However, rigid members that stick out over a foot in distance from a bicycle can snag on external objects (such as trees, posts, and pedestrians) and break, or cause an accident.
Some prior art has sought to resolve this problem by supplementing a generally-rigid, straight, laterally-extending member with a single flexible spring joint—generally near where it connects to the bicycle. Such a spring joint can decrease, but does not eliminate, potential damage from collision with an external object. Having only one deflection point along the entire longitudinal axis of the laterally-extending generally-rigid member limits the member's ability to absorb energy from collision with an external object without causing damage to the external object, to the rigid member, or both. Also, such a single-joint configuration is limited in terms of the width of the bilateral safety zone that can be spanned. With a relatively-wide generally-rigid spanning member, the device must be constructed with a relatively strong (inflexible) spring in order to keep the rigid part from drooping downward. This is particularly true if a light is attached to the end of the rigid member.
Some of the devices in this category seek to resolve this dilemma by having a friction-based hinge or ball-joint where the generally-rigid member attaches to the bicycle, instead of a flexible spring joint. This can avoid some of the problems associated with a spring joint, but creates other problems. For example, hinges only allow motion at certain angles and can break if collision with an external object causes torque at other angles. For example, some of the hinges in the prior art only allow a rigid member to fold upwards or downwards—and would break if hit front-to-back by an external object such as a post, tree, car, or pedestrian.
Also, hinges and ball joints without springs are non-resilient. This is by design so that their position (outward angle, etc.) can be adjusted by the bicyclist. However, non-resiliency has a downside. Once the generally-rigid, laterally-extending member is deflected (backwards and/or inwards) by collision with an external object, it does not automatically return to its original configuration. Even if the rigid member is not broken by such a collision, it must be manually moved back into place by the bicyclist. At a minimum, this is inconvenient for the bicyclist who must stop to move the rigid member back into place. At worst, this is hazardous for the bicyclist. For example, if the bicyclist is intent on what is ahead and does not notice that a laterally-extending member has been bent backwards and/or inwards, and does not stop to move it back into place, then the bicycle is no longer protected by the bilateral safety zone of light during this time (and is more vulnerable to collision from a vehicle).
For all of these reasons, there are limitations to generally-rigid relatively-wide lights and reflectors in this category in the prior art. Although lights and reflectors in this category in the prior art could be a step toward defining a bilateral safety zone around a bicycle that can be seen by drivers approaching the bicycle from the rear, they are limited because they cause accidents if they are too wide. They also tend to be dependent on a single spring joint and/or have a friction-based joint that is non-resilient. The novel invention that we will disclose herein overcomes these limitations of the prior art in this category.
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise lights or reflectors, mounted on the back or front of a cycle, that are relatively wide (eg. at least a foot in width) include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 1,994,837 (St. Onge, “Bicycle Construction”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,153,634 (Magarian, “Signaling Arm”); U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,394 (Hollingsworth, “Direction and Safety Signal for Motorcycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,404 (Mcewin, “Safety Reflector for Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,255 (Martinson, “Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,336 (Harris, “Bicycle Distance Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,727 (Smith, “Fold-Away Rear Turn Indicators for Motorcycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,596 (Schiavone, “Bicycle Directional Signal”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,575 (Coutts, “Bicycle Safety Warning Flag”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,302 (Sherman, “Velocipede Presence Indicating Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,771 (Tropeano, “Safety Guard Attachment for Bicycles and Other Two-Wheel Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,458 (Windisch, “Light Signalling Device for Bicycles and Switch Therefor”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,935 (Margiloff, “Traffic Signaling Attachment Device for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,154 (Harris, “Bicycle Distance Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,191 (Daniels, “Lighting System for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,307 (Turner, “Illuminated Handlebar”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,883 (Ruppa, “Safety Flag Attachment Means for Bicycles, Etc.”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,280 (Ashworth, “Bicycle and Motor Bike Warning Signal Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,581 (Margiloff, “Traffic Signaling Attachment Device for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,615 (Mcmanus, “Flexible Reflector Assembly for Bicycles and the Like”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,586 (Sisto, “Safety Spacer”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,189 (Johnson, “Bicycle Reflector Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,454 (Hedquist et al., “Distance Stick”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,681 (Johnson, “Bicycle Reflector for Handlebar Attachment”); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,372 (Watson, “Bicycle Indicator System”).
Prior art in this categories also appears to include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,782 (Murray, “Lighted Handlebar for Bicycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,214 (Bseilis, “Pendulous Security Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,593 (Lighthill et al., “Bicycle Light Signal”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,920 (Koizumi, “Safety Reflector Marker”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,197 (Conyers et al., “Lighted Bicycle Safety Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,696 (Izzo Sr., “Bicycle Mounted Turn-Signal and Horn”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,152 (Carter, “Bicycle Handlebar Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,441 (Mcgee, “Portable Safety Lighting Device and Method for Increasing Visibility of a Person or Vehicle”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,303 (1770 Sr., “Turn Signal and Horn Assembly for a Bicycle”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,097 (Vredenburgh, “Conspicuous Lighting Display System for Motorcycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,050 (Carter, “Bicycle Handlebar Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,254 (Duenas, “Removable Motorcycle Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,076 (Babb, “Retrofittable Bicycle Turn Indicator”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,626 (Zagrodnik et al., “Motorcycle Directional Light Bar”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,151 (Tlustos, “Lighting System at Rear Part of Motorcycles”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,473 (Beard, “Bicycle Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,298 (Christensen, “Lighting System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,244 (Naylor, “Vehicle Safety Warning Signal Devices and System for Use on a Bicycle, Motorcycle or Like Vehicle”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,466,222 (Scott, “Elevated Motorcycle Signal Lights”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,500,770 (Medina, “Motorcycle Tail Light Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,585,095 (Sheriff, “Illuminated Motorcycle Safety and Vanity Light Bar”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,800,485 (Russell, “Bicycle Turn Signals”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,462 (May, “Motorcycle Adjustable Light Bar Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,559 (Grossman, “Human-Propelled Vehicles”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,560 (Grossman, “Human-Propelled Vehicle”); and U.S. Pat. No. 8,038,332 (Lin, “Viewing and Lighting Device”); as well as U.S. Patent Applications 20030133308 (Christensen, “Lighting System”); 20050275193 (Lee, “Vehicle Safety Lighting and Signaling System”); 20060198154 (Naylor, “Vehicle Safety Warning Signal Devices and System for Use on a Bicycle, Motorcycle or Like Vehicle”); and 20090102627 (Russell, “Bicycle Turn Signals”).
8. Other Relevant (but Harder to Categorize) Lights and Reflectors
Examples in the prior art that appear to comprise bicycle lights or reflectors that are relevant, but are more difficult to classify into the above categories, include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,337 (Sweetman, “Safety Arch”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,317 (Mithoff, “Motorcycle Safety Light”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,232 (O'Shaughnessy et al., “Vehicle Signaling Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,510 (O'Shaughnessy, “Bicycle Direction Indicator”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,446 (Manzano, “Adjustable Safety Distance Spacer for Bicycles”); 20080219014 (Loibl, “Bicycle Bumper with a Light Generating a Bike Lane”); 20100283590 (Tee et al., “Safety Light Device”); 20110115614 (Huang et al., “Direction Light and Illumination Device for Bicycle”). In this section, each of these examples is now discussed individually.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,337 (Sweetman, “Safety Arch”) appears to disclose an arch that is attached to bicycle handlebars (or some other front portion of the bicycle) that has a width approximately equal to that of the handlebars and features reflective, illuminative, or decorative attachments to make the bicycle more visible. This device could be useful for highlighting the bicycle for drivers approaching the bicycle from the front, but due to its forward orientation it is less useful for highlighting the bicycle for drivers approaching the bicycle from the rear. Portions of the arch will be obscured by the body of the bicyclist as seen from a rear perspective. Also, the width of the device appears to be generally constrained by the width of the handlebars, which may not define a full bilateral safety zone around the bicycle. Finally, since the arch is in front of the bicyclist's face, it may hazardously interfere with the bicyclist's vision.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,317 (Mithoff, “Motorcycle Safety Light”) appears to disclose an elevated elliptical lighted globe that is supported by a plurality of structural columns attached to an adjustable sub-frame. In some respects, this device may be viewed as a hybrid between the above art category with lights and reflectors on vertical members and the above art category with relatively-wide lights or reflectors. It appears to be a bit large and weighty for use on a bicycle, which would explain its primary intended use for a motorcycle, but it merits discussion for this application. If a light-weight version of it could be adapted for use on a bicycle, then it could be useful for alerting drivers from all sides to the presence of the bicycle. However, it appears to be generally rigid and bulky and could cause an accident if it were made sufficiently wide to span a full bilateral safety zone around a bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,232 (O'Shaughnessy et al., “Vehicle Signaling Device”) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,510 (O'Shaughnessy, “Bicycle Direction Indicator”) appear to disclose flexible arms, with lights on the end of each arm, that are attached to the handlebars of a bicycle. These devices may be useful for highlighting the bicycle for drivers approaching the bicycle from the front, but they have limitations. They are less useful for highlighting the bicycle for drivers approaching the bicycle from the rear. From a rear perspective at certain angles, the lights at the ends of the arms will be obscured by the body of the bicyclist. Also, the use of lights only at the ends of the arms does not enable the creation of sequences of laterally flashing lights visible from someone approaching the bicycle from the rear.
Further, these devices are not resilient. The latter patent says that the arms “may be used to position and to hold the lamps at selected positions.” Although the attribute of adjustability may be desirable for focusing end lights in desired directions, it comes at the price of resiliency which would be desirable for maintaining a bilateral safety zone after deflection from collision with an external object. The arms in this device appear to be adjustable, not resilient. They would require manual readjustment to their original configuration after being deflected by collision with an external object.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,446 (Manzano, “Adjustable Safety Distance Spacer for Bicycles”) appears to disclose a one-sided laterally-extending spacer rod, with a reflector on the end, which is perpendicular to the main longitudinal (front-to-back) plane of the bicycle and is adjustable in length. The adjustable length aspect of this spacer is a useful feature. However, this device does not disclose a bilateral safety zone around a bicycle which may be seen from someone approach the bicycle from the rear. Also, it also does not provide details concerning how one or more lights might be incorporated into this device. Also, it does not disclose the extent to which this device is flexible or resilient with respect to collision with an external object. Further, its perpendicular configuration with respect to the bicycle frame and the bulbous reflector on its end raise questions concerning what would happen with such a collision, especially if such contact were to occur along a portion of its longitudinal axis that is relatively close the bicycle. Would the rod bend or break with such contact? Would the bulbous reflector snag or break? The invention to be disclosed herein addresses and resolves these issues.
U.S. Patent Applications 20080219014 (Loibl, “Bicycle Bumper with a Light Generating a Bike Lane”) and 20100283590 (Tee et al., “Safety Light Device”) both confirm the importance of defining a lateral safety zone around a bicycle and the difficulty of doing this with a rigid member extending out from the side of a bicycle. These inventions both appear to seek to address this problem by projecting beams of light down onto the ground in order to create a virtual bike lane via light beams. This is an innovative approach to an important problem. However, it has limitations. The most important limitation of this approach is that the safety zone is created on ground level, rather than in the upper-rear quadrant of the space around the bicycle where it would be more visible to a vehicle driver who is approaching the bicycle from the rear. Also, since the safety zone is entirely virtual (defined by light beams rather than any solid matter), this approach does not offer the option of tactile or auditory warnings of vehicle proximity upon contact. As we will disclose in this invention, the latter is possible when a physically-solid member, such as a laterally-extending light-holding member, is used to define the safety zone rather than just a virtual beam of light projected onto the ground.
U.S. Patent Application 20110115614 (Huang et al., “Direction Light and Illumination Device for Bicycle”) appears to disclose turn signal lights at the ends of arms that can be mounted on either the front or the back of a bicycle. One embodiment of this invention appears to comprise generally-rigid arms that support lights at their ends. This rigid version has the limitations associated with generally-rigid, laterally-extending members that have been discussed in previous categories. Another embodiment of this invention appears to offer laterally-extending arms with lights on their ends wherein these arms are comprised of a series of friction joints. Such arms can be configured at different angles. However, such arms composed of a series of multiple friction joints are not resilient. Since such arms appear to be specifically designed to remain in a particular configuration when pushed into that configuration by a human hand, they also remain in a particular configuration when deflected by collision with an external object. This is a problem for spanning a wide distance on either side of the bicycle. Such arms might work well for a short lateral distance, but not well for a longer lateral distance. How far outward can a laterally-extending member comprised of multiple friction joints extend from a bicycle before it starts to droop downwards as the bicycle travels bumpy surfaces? Since friction joints are non-resilient. With a relatively-long series of such joints extending outwards, each time the bicycle hits a bump the arm is knocked further downwards. Since these joints are non-resilient, downward drooping movement is cumulative. Also, with lights only mounted on the ends, there is limited ability to create the illusion of one or more laterally-moving points of light spanning a safety zone. The invention to be disclosed herein addresses these limitations.